FIFTY YEARS AGO

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21729, 19 February 1934, Page 6

FIFTY YEARS AGO

EXTRACTS FROM THE HERALD The following are extracts from the New Zealand Herald SP February 19, 1884: The' latest cablegrams from London are of great interest as bearing on the question of confederation and annexation in the South Pacific. One tells us that it is believed in political circles that if a Federation Bill was brought forward, it would be certain to pass. This we can readily believe, indeed no doubt on the question has ever agitated colonial minds. The difficulties of confederation are not in London bnt in the colonies. From the first indication of national aspirations among ourselves and for long before, the Imperial Government has not failed to signify, not merely its approval of, but its desire for, the unification of Australasia after the fashion of the Canadian Dominion. . . Other colonies have hot had the bitter experiences that we have had in the reckless and unprincipled destruction of local government by the aggressiveness of centralism, and the people of this colony at least will exact strict guarantees that federation does not mean the ultimate absorption of our powers of self-government. Latest news to hand from the Soudan states that the insurgents cut off any possible retreat of the Egyptian garrison from Sennaar, and have blocked the river Nile below Duem.